The Pursuit of Happyness
by AngelxSchunard
Summary: Mark's at it again! Alone in the world of not knowing what's going to happen next. His heart plays tricks on him once again. [I do not own RENT, the only characters that are mine are the OC's R&R please!]


**This is my first Mark fic, I don't know if I am going to add onto it but for now I have it as 'in-progress' please R&R and I will do the same to yours. Also, thank you for reviewing 'The new addition of Bohos' I am still editing and working on that one. With some of your tips I have put them into this one.. Anyways I am rambling.. Hope you enjoy!**

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It was the month of December and New York was experiencing one of the harshest winters ever. The temperature hadn't reached above 50 degrees so far and Mark was yet once again the only one paying the rent of the Tent City lot in Alphabet City, New York City, New York. Roger was slowly getting sicker and refused to get out and have fun, or go to Life Support because each time he had gone it made him realize he really did have a life threatening illness that took away his best friend Angel Dumott Schunard and former girlfriend Mimi Marquez.

_Pan left..._ He had set up his camera to work on a shooting for Alexi Darling his boss at Buzzline; Mark Cohen shook his head and rubbed his hands together in the bitter cold.

"It's fucking cold." Mark said to himself as he pulled his jacket tighter to him, and wrapped his scarf around once more.

The ideas which Alexi wanted Mark to film this week were weddings and happiness. The key word... 'Happiness' the filmmaker hadn't seen that in the longest time so he didn't exactly know how to do this job in which Alexi wanted of him. Mark looked around the park at all of the happy couples. That was him once... He was still very much in love with Maureen, but Maureen was with Joanne. Then there was another person who he had always loved. Nanette Himmelfarb, the rabbi's daughter they used to date. Mark had met Nanette at the Scarsdale Jewish Center where he had taken dance. Yes, it's true; the albino pumpkin head took dance... Tango to be exact.

He thought of the memories of Nan, they were friends as children, and grew up together. Once he realized he was in love with her it was something that had apparently been going on for years. People around them noticed that they were so close and always knew they would end up dating but it never seemed to faze Mark that they were right. He snapped back into reality and took his camera with him and went over to the couple who were waiting for the story and photo shooting.

"Hi, my name is Mark Cohen, and my boss Alexi Darling sent me here today to film you two, although I don't know why you chose one of the coldest days to do this, but are you two ready?"

Mark was growing impatient because he didn't want to be there, he didn't want to see other's happy. He wanted to be happy himself and that would take a miracle. Something which he hadn't seen in a long time Mark wanted that one person who always stuck in his mind it wasn't hard to forget her. Many nights of dancing; Mark's Bar Mitzvah even though Maureen was there and she broke his brand new camera, Nanette gave him a new one the next day. The memories of Nanette's Bat Mitzvah... It was as if they were attached at the hip, but they weren't.

Nanette and Mark had some mutual friends, though Mark never knew that Nanette and Angel were friends but they were in the same Home Economics in middle school but at that time Angel wasn't a drag queen. She didn't come out until high school, and yes Nanette and Angel remained friends. The last time that Mark had seen his previous lover was at the funeral of Angel. They exchanged some words but it wasn't much. There was a small 'hi' here and there from both persons and then on their ways they went. Mark was so blinded because he was in love with Maureen to even say anything to Nanette, and Nanette was lost for words because she lost her best friend.

"Mr. Cohen..." The wife-to-be stopped him in his tracks. "We're ready." She said as sat down on the bench in front of the waterfall as the husband-to-be knelt in front of her and gave a 'mock' proposal pose.

"Right sorry." he said and readjusted his camera and started to film them while slipping off into dreamland again. "Ready?" Mark asked as started to give a fake smile to let the couple know he 'enjoying' this.

Jon, the husband-to-be, nodded. "Please, let us know what else we will be doing." He said as he watched Mark take a few moments to rewind the camera.

"There!" Mark said as he got a perfect shot. "I would like to know how you proposed to Mackenzie."

Jon sat down next to Mackenzie and started to explain as Mark nodded and wrote some things down, he filmed the happy couple once more before thanking them for their time and going on his way. Mark was glad to have that be over but he still thought about what all was going on. Nanette, Maureen, Nanette, Maureen. Both women stuck in his mind, but Nanette more then Maureen as he continued to think.

Mark left and went back to Buzzline because he was supposed to film some more but he decided to move it all until tomorrow to see if there was a shift in the weather. After leaving Buzzline he headed to the Food Emporium, the same one that Collins had rewired the ATM machine to 'A-N-G-E-L' he typed it into the machine, got some money, bought a few groceries and a cup of coffee then finally made his journey back to the Tent City.

The cold weather was bitter. Mark was rushing home with his groceries, and coffee. He wasn't looking where he was going because he had the path to home memorized even when his hands were more full then this when he accidentally ran into someone. His coffee landed on the ground, the groceries everywhere. He was struck and not knowing what had happened. "I am very sorry."

The woman picked herself up. She had brown hair, was about 5'6 wearing black dance pants, a skirt over her pants, she had on a pink shirt, and a warm comfortable jacket, plus a scarf that looked like Mark's but hers was pink and white. "It's ok." She said while dusting herself off. "Do you need any help?"

Mark looked up at her as a grin slowly formed his face.. "Nanette!" He shot up and cleaned himself off and picked her up giving her a hug while twirling her around. "How are you!?" He asked her then sat her back down on the ground.

"MARKY!!!!" She had been waiting for this for a long time, the moment was right. Nanette wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned up to give him a passionate kiss then pulled away slowly.

"Wow..." The albino pumpkin head was taken back that she felt that way too. "I... I..." He was speechless.

She smiled and laughed. "I'm better now that I'm seeing you."

Mark nodded and started to pick up his groceries. "I agree."

Nanette helped Mark as the two of them went back to the loft hand in hand as if nothing had happened. After much conversation, crying, and joy the two of them had protested their true love to each other for so long though it started out small when they were children there was always this true feeling of love for one another.


End file.
